Champion Hurdle hero Buveur a mighty obstacle as Irving seeks third win

Unibet Fighting Fifth Hurdle | 2m | Grade 1 | ITV/ATR

Newbury may hold star billing on Saturday, but many an eye at the Berkshire track will be focused on a nearby television screen when the champion hurdler Buveur D’Air makes his seasonal reappearance in this historic race.

Several hurdling greats have landed this prize since it was established in 1969 – particularly in its early days – including three-time winners Comedy Of Errors (1972-74) and Birds Nest (1976, 1977 and 1979), dual scorer Sea Pigeon (1978 and 1980) and Night Nurse (1975).

Irving, winner in 2014 and 2016, will emulate Comedy Of Errors and Birds Nest if he lands this £110,000 prize again, but to do so he may need to raise his game to a new level to defeat the long odds-on favourite.

Buveur D’Air, who stormed up the Cheltenham hill to beat stablemate My Tent Or Yours by four and a half lengths in March and then signed off an unbeaten 2016-17 campaign with a comfortable five-length victory over that same rival at Aintree, has pleased trainer Nicky Henderson in the build-up to Newcastle.

“Everything has gone well,” the champion trainer said. “We took him to Newbury for a racecourse gallop ten days ago and he went nicely.

“He looks big but is exactly the same weight as when he won at Aintree at the end of last season – he’s certainly not heavy.”

A clash with Faugheen at some stage this season – perhaps not until Cheltenham in March – is what all racing fans are looking forward to, but the Fighting Fifth is the first step down that path.

“He did another bit of work on Sunday that was excellent,” Henderson added. “Newcastle is a lovely place to start. Fingers crossed.”

The nine-year-old Irving, sure to start clear second-favourite in a five-runner field, will be partnered by Sean Bowen for the first time.

Conqueror of Apple’s Jade by a nose 12 months ago, Irving finished more than 11 lengths behind Buveur D’Air at Sandown in February, but Newcastle in December is far more to his liking.

His trainer Paul Nicholls said: “He's won this twice in the last three years and always goes well fresh. He's had his problems, which we have lived with for two or three years, but often saves his best for first time out.

“I'm not going to pretend he'll beat the Champion Hurdle winner, but if he can run tidy he could get some good prize-money.”

The Nick Williams-trained Flying Tiger, third to London Prize in Wincanton’s Elite Hurdle last time out, is officially rating 29lb inferior to Buveur D’Air, while big-priced outsiders Katgary and Mirsaale complete the field.

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